Power Nap #145
Back-to-school brains, camping coolers, and Nate's July bookshelf
Hello from the Trenches. Is that too dramatic? Perhaps. But I want to be honest and let you know I have had a very hard week mentally. The re-entry back home + the need to get everyone ready for school (we start Tuesday!) + the desire to still be the “fun mom” in these last few days of summer has made for a lot of decision fatigue and anxiety. My brain feels like I have been trying to sprint through pluff mud. I have had a hard time in everything from thinking for work projects to placing a Costco order.
Something I shared in stories the other day (and also in the Mommy’s Helper post) is that being a good manager is not synonymous with being a good mother. You can love time with your kids and struggle deeply with managing the infrastructure around your kids. If you, like me, feel yourself coming up short, I pray this takes some of the pressure off. I’m off to finally place my Costco order and add a convenience meal for dinner. Shortcuts and grace, friends. For us, and for these kids about to get smacked in the face by early waketimes and routine.
Jess here! Every summer, we take a week-long family camping trip, and one thing I’ve learned is that a good cooler makes the whole week run more smoothly. This year I’m bringing the Ninja FrostVault Cooler, and I’m especially excited about the Dry Zone drawer. Instead of everything getting buried in ice, I can keep sandwich meat, cheese, fruit, and snacks in the drawer where they stay at refrigerator temperature without getting soggy. It feels like having a mini fridge on the go. The cooler also keeps ice frozen for up to six days, which means fewer trips to buy ice and more time actually enjoying the trip.
My sister is at Hilton Head this week and putting it to good use for their all-day beach trips. She filled the top with ice and drinks for everyone, and the bottom drawer with snacks, sandwiches, and things that need to be protected from moisture. I have the larger 50-quart version so it can last for longer camping trips, but the 30-quart option with wheels and an easy-carry handle is also on sale and would be perfect for the beach. The 45-quart version, though, may be the perfect middle ground option. You still get plenty of capacity without sacrificing portability, since it also has wheels and a handle. (Note: The larger size is not on sale but code 20NEWQ gets 20% off your first QVC order!!)
Also, the Ninja Slushie that Kate’s little brother brought to Freeman Beach Week is on sale! Did you know you can just put a bottle of rosé in this and get a frosé!? Or pour in some Gatorade and have a Gatorade slushie in 15 minutes without a single ice cube. The Power Nap is free each week, and sponsors like QVC help make that possible! Thanks for sponsoring this Power Nap, QVC!
In Case You Missed It
We updated the Naptime Kitchen Youtube Playlists. All my IG reels are uploaded here if you’re off social media.
I got asked about the girls’ clothing while traveling and basically every dress they wore is from Quince. They are fantastic quality and such a great price point for back to school. They love both the crew neck and the scoop neck dresses.
My new sunrise alarm clock has been shockingly so nice to wake up to. The light slowly brightens followed by birds chirping but I find that I usually wake up from the light alone. So much more pleasant than a loud beeping alarm. I purposely went with this model because of the reviews and lack of any app association; you program the whole thing from the clock!
Save this tip for when you head to meet the teacher and come home with lots of papers (I also do this for things like my health insurance card!)
Nate’s Book Reviews
Contact — Carl Sagan -- This 1985 novel follows a scientist who detects a radio signal from a distant planet carrying instructions for building a mysterious machine. Explores the tension between science and faith — whether empirical evidence and religious belief can coexist, and what counts as “proof.” It was excellent. Reminded me of In Ascension, Stories of Your Life, and Andy Weir books (The Martian, Project Hail Mary). Like all great alien books and movies, it’s not about aliens at all. Highly recommended.
Of Mice and Men -- John Steinbeck -- After LOVING East of Eden, I wanted to read another Steinbeck, and this one was short, plus I’d heard of it. Where East of Eden wrestles with big moral questions and human complexity, this one seems to be making the point that the American Dream is fragile for people at the bottom. From GPT: Steinbeck is asking “whether mercy is sometimes the only dignity left in a world that doesn’t offer much of it.” I never really got into it the same way I did with Eden.
The Quiet American -- Graham Greene -- I’ve been meaning to read Greene for a while. The Quiet American follows a news correspondent in Vietnam and, on one level, it’s a love triangle, but it’s also about loneliness and aging, selfishness, and the damage done by people convinced they are helping. Overall: enjoyed. Deep, funny, and worth reading.
The Hidden Life of Trees -- Peter Wohlleben -- Wohlleben wrote this book in 2016 that discusses how trees communicate, feel, and live in social networks. I read it at the time and really liked it, so when I saw he converted it into a graphic novel, I bought it to see if the kids would like it. Overall, it’s good; though probably a little too “old” for elementary schoolers. Coolest thing I learned: beeches and oaks will dramatically slow down seed production for multiple years to try to thin out the animal species that eat their seeds. Then, once they’ve gotten rid of the animals (by starving them), they make tons of seeds! The way trees “think” (is that the right word?) long-term is incredible. Like I tell Kate, it’s the tree’s world, we are just living in it.
Dominion -- Tom Holland -- Non-fiction book that provides a broad overview of Christian history, starting in pre-Christianity and continuing to present day. It’s not crazy long, so when covering 2500 years+, he understandably gives little time to certain people/events. That said, I learned a ton since there are large (like hundreds of years) gaps where I know next to nothing about the history of Christianity. His basic thesis: Western morality, values, and social norms ultimately are products of Christianity. I feel like to really digest it, I’d either (a) need to reread it or (b) read another book on the same subject matter.
Beat On Repeat
Jess here. If you like country music, have a son, and haven’t listened to this album by Luke Combs in its entirety, what are you doing!? My son knows every word to every song. We like to bring the album back out especially in the summer. It’s a couple years old now but truly timeless. Our favorites are “Plant A Seed” and “Front Door Famous”. It’s family-friendly and anytime I need a no-brainer album to play on a longer car trip with the kids that won’t give me brain rot, this is my go-to.
Kate, I just want to thank you for putting your content on places other than social media!! I need to take breaks, for a lot of reasons! But I genuinely miss seeing things from people like you! I really love and appreciate that you make these emails but also post your reels to YouTube! Thank you so much for that!! I really love keeping up with the Stricklers! ;) Happy August! I hope it gets smoother quickly for all of you as you enter into this new school year with so many bright, new beginnings, I’m sure!! My 4th babe is entering the 10th grade this school year - I’ve got a lot of feelings about this! 😑 My other 3 are graduated. I don’t want these days to end!! 🥲
Kate, so many tangible takeaways! Thank you!
Nate, we tell our daughters they can't get a tiny pet because they'll "Lennie" it.